Shouts out to my mans D. Francis over at Tygah Woods Radio as I was on the show a few days ago with Curren$y affiliate, Nesby Phips. It was a great interview (and unfortunately) the last interview that will be held at what we knew as Tygah Woods Radio.
So, it was fun and bittersweet at the same time but definitely check it out mane.
This is really hard for the city right now. Lorenzen Wright, former University of Memphis forward/center and NBA star who played for the Los Angeles Clippers & Memphis Grizzlies was found dead in the Southeast Memphis yesterday with multiple gunshot wounds.
This is definitely a tradegy to the city. Outside of his death, the man himself was someone that I believed that could have been one of the best role models that came from the city.
Lorenzen Wright was the first millionaire that I knew of outside of Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway.
They both were from the 'hood mane.
Not the "rap" 'hood. The real 'hood.
Now between them I had my favorite at that time.
Now, with Penny Hardaway it was an obvious decision for me a kid to side with him because he represented a person who transended North Memphis to become a basketball star. But, Lorenzen (who was from South Memphis) still got that same love because he came from the same struggle that we all came from as Black youths growing up in Memphis.
But, it's really sad mane to see Lorenzen go in this fashion though. Even still, many of our brothers leave this type of way in the streets of Memphis everyday.
But, not Lorenzen mane.
I remember getting some floor seats with my uncle to go to see the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs a few years ago. I was right in the thick of the people who were actually season ticket holders so you know I was excited.
During one play, Lorenzen must have did something on the floor because I said aloud "Mane, where's Lorenzen folks at?". All of a sudden, like 20 of his family members said in unison, "We here!!!!"
That's what type of man Lorenzen was to me. He was a giver and always remembered home.
Now, Lorenzen is really going home.
Maybe, that's too much for many people to carry or understand mane. But, Lorenzen...at least to me, was a star more than any NBA jersey could show.
He represented moving towards your dreams and he didn't have to forsake home to do so. Reports stated before his death that he was having money issues and other problems before his death but that didnt matter.
He was a father of 6 children and they are left without a father.
But, I want his children and family to know that Lorenzen Wright was and STILL is a legend in the city of Memphis. In every 'hood mane.
I was listening to Devin Steele on K-97 FM yesterday and he said, "When Lorenzen Wright got signed...it felt like the whole city got signed."
In a way, we did get signed. We all felt that positive recognition and shine from Lorenzen's ascent to NBA stardom and it gave others the courage to leave home and pursue their dreams.
Lorenzen showed me that Memphis was bigger than the hood and that may be a reason that I ended up moving to Los Angeles later in my life. I will never know. But, I do know that when I saw Penny do it, it was big. But, when Lorenzen did it...it was REALLY big.
In conclusion, Lorenzen's memory with me will always be a positive one. He was South Memphis' shining star. He was a big part of the city and he will be missed.
Wow!!! Nardwuar gets it in again....from Big L & Little Brother to Al Green (Teenie Hodges is his uncle) & Graham Central Station (Larry Graham is his uncle). Drake is in for a surprise when Nardwuar interviews him.
Not to mention a few of those records he's showing Drake was mentioned on ThaOvaground.com a few years ago (shameless plug) lol.
ThaOvaground.com....home of GOOD music has just uncovered another quality release within the Ovaground Undaground camp. Mr. J'ai (of New Orleans' based 'J-Squared') has a new release entitled Clarity 1.0.
I could go on for days about how I knew that this project was going to be one of J'ai's best releases but I think that the music is sooooo strong that it ultimately shows you from the first track.
Just cut to the chase....read the press release below. Take your little self over to J'ai's bandcamp and download twice 'cause I said so lol.
Links are below.
-L'Daialogue
_______________________________________________
Mr. J’ai, In The Zone Media, and Bandcamp.com presents Clarity 1.0 and The Summer Music Blowout!
From July 15th- September 5th visit www.mrjai.bandcamp.com to exclusively download the new Mr. J’ai hip hop album Clarity 1.0 for free. Clarity 1.0 features the summer anthem “Do It” feat. L’Daialogue DiCaprio, and the lead single "Thinking Bout You" feat. Nina Gray. Be sure to check out the new digital music downloads every Thursday from Mr. J’ai’s exclusive catalog only at www.mrjai.bandcamp.com.
(Shouts out to @MelodyAnnJones who already wrote an eloquent essay here about this case so in essence I’m just adding on to what she said already)
A few days ago, the verdict was handed down in the year-long Oscar Grant case in Oakland. The officer in question, Johannes Mehserle was given an involuntary manslaughter charge for murdering Oscar Grant in cold blood on a BART train in Oakland.
They really gave Johannes Mehserle an involuntary manslaughter charge? That’s kind of lenient, don’t you think?
The facts are Oscar Grant was a kid just going to a party on New Years Eve last year. Oscar Grant was killed by a police officer in Oakland.
I want you to dwell on that statement for a second.
He wasn’t breaking the law. He was already restrained and the officer says, he was reaching for his taser gun instead of his police-issued Beretta and he unloaded a single shot in the back of Oscar Grant and all he got was an involuntary manslaughter charge.
Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought. Mehserle malicious killed Oscar Grant and he thought about it for sure.
How can I say that, you ask? Well, probably around the point when the police surrounding Grant yelled out “bitch-ass nigger” to him.
But in classic California fashion in dealing with law enforcement, he got a celebrity sentence (Well, actually no police in California has ever been convicted in a murder trial of a shooting of a Black man since well probably never according to Grant's lawyer).
This might as well have been the Lindsay Lohan trial.
But, you would have never known the true outrage because most of the world was focused on Lebron James move from Cleveland to Miami on the same day. The sad thing was the riots that got the most media coverage that day were from the people of Cleveland, not Oakland. The media (CNN, MSNBC, and Fox) did not cover the case at all.
I mean, did you really expect it?
Just another Black life lost at the hands of law enforcement. It actually seems to be something that is expected these days since Sean Bell and many other young Black men that have died at the hands of the police.
But all everybody else was worried about was Lebron.
All I want to say is that we all know that the verdict was bull and that the time Mehserle got was a joke but what’s going to change things? You will continue to see more things like this happening but the sad thing is, you’ll never know what time it really is. But, you can’t blame what is never covered.
This verdict seemed to conveniently been overlooked. But, gooooooo Lebron?
It kind of makes you think about the real life instead than what the idiot box WANTS to tell you.
My heart goes out the Grant family, the city of Oakland and all people (especially my Black & Latino families) that are feeling the pain from a racist police force in this country. I don’t care for ANY policeman (and this is in most cases and the minority is very small) & this does nothing to help the youth not only in Oakland, but in America.
But, I heard today Mehserle wrote an apology for what he has done.
An apology???
Maybe if you ask the judge to take that time you should have gotten, you can really make your wrongs right. But, we all know how that’s going to play out.
But, to everybody…keep your heads and stay conscious of this impending police state that seems to be coming slowly into all of our communities. If police can shoot Oscar and get a reduced/near-none sentence, you are not exempt from these racist police polices.
Maybe the best thing we all can do as Black people is just lock the doors, stay in the house and never come back outside again. But I bet to differ.
Get your minds right. Get your grind tight. Get more knowledge and get a gun because I am. The Panthers wasn’t wrong when they did it and it seems like the minority communities can ALWAYS turn guns on themselves but never their oppressors.
EDIT: The original link has crashed (which is good thing). The new link is below- L'Daialogue
The term "buzz" is used in many music circles to gauge the amount of interest that is garnered from a particular artist. Many people say that when an up-and-coming artist is gaining public interest and becoming popular, that he is "buzzing". That is exactly what this emcee wants you to know. He is buzzing.
Memphis emcee L'Daialogue DiCaprio is certainly standing on that premise with his latest mixtape "I Built My Own Buzz". This tape is presented in conjunction with ThaOvaground.com & Hailmegatron.net.
With production from in-house producer MiZUnderstatistic, Midi Marc (who L'Dai collaborated with earlier this year with their successful EP, InDAIpendent) and Blaze The Verbal Chemist, he is definitely prepared to be on par with his rap counterparts with this mixtape.
This tape also has features from Lyrikill, J-Dubble, Mr. J'ai, GQ, High Ruler King Cane (2DEEP), Empera Bookie, A. Levy and Top Billion.
TRACKLISTING
1. Midi Marc Buzz Intro 2. I Built My Own Buzz 3. Move Ahead Of You 4. Tone It Down 5. Somebody Listens 2 Something feat. J-Dubble 6. Do It For Yall feat. Mr. J'ai 7. Jump Dub feat. High Ruler King Cane & Empera Bookie (2DEEP) 8. Play Like I'm Dead 9. Speech Slow Rhyming 10 Dai's Under The Scope 11. U Know Tha Spot 12. These Streets Fight 13. Mellow Daialogue Interlude feat. Mellowhype 14. Dissonance feat. Lyrikill 15. Da' Shape Of Ya' 16. In My Mode feat. A. Levy 17. Every Youngsta On Tha Town 18. Unemployed 19. Buzz Outro 20. BONUS: 3 Piece feat. Top Billion & Lyrikill off of Lyrikill's Shut Up & Rap Mixtape
Yes, I'm finally unveiling the first sounds from my latest project entitled "I Built My Own Buzz". Yes, the title is very serious and lyrically will align with many of the themes that will be reoccuring throughout the project.
This song "Unemployed"(Produced by MiZUnderstatistic) is dedicated to all of the people that are going through the grind right now. Like the REAL struggles of life. The workforce in America (at least as of June 2010) is jacked & this track right here is an answer to how I feel about the situation...
I'm just speaking how I feel....
Yes, I know it's a little deep for the very first track off the project but that's where my heart is right now: with the people that are struggling. So, this one is for you.
Be on the lookout for the complete project for download coming in the NEXT FEW DAYS. Plus, I have a special cosign coming from the homey Megatron from Hailmegatron.net with this one because of all of his support along with ThaOvaground.com so this presentation will be a banger.
Now, I believe in any generation there will be legends. There always has and will be legends. The difference between the 2 is that it gets to a point were somebody people obtain a point that they become so “legendary” that they become the precedent.
Michael Jackson. He is a precedent in music that he becomes mythical to a point but that is how it always been. From his early days singing with his brothers in the Jackson 5 to his accent in the pop world to becoming a worldwide phenomenon, Michael is and will always be special.
When a man touches so many people in this regular world it makes you think about the nature of people in general. He was in so much pain in this natural world. The tabloids attacked him from every turn. The same masses who hailed him as a King early in his career were the same people leading the charge when he was false-accused as a child molester later on. The same people that bought the 40 plus million records of his magnum opus Thriller were the same ones who tried to revise history to imply that he was not the biggest selling North American artist.
It’s funny how people can change up on you though. But, through all of his trials and tribulations, Michael still loved. Not many people could do that but Michael did and for that he was more than just the awards and accolades: he was a true King.
I grew up in an era before internet and pre-manufactured pop stars and Michael Jackson will forever be the ruler that any other star that comes after him will be measured against. I remember a Dave Chappelle skit where he was on the stand in a courtroom and kept telling the judge, “Michael Jackson made Thriller. Thriller.”
Now, this is not to say that it’s a race to beat a legacy but with a legacy as great as Michael’s, you have no choice but to give it up to greatness. As it is in the history of Black music, it has always been greatness and Michael was another example of that greatness.
So, in his demise we need to remember a man that had a beautiful heart that stood for more that many people will ever dream of standing up for. He was more than the moonwalk and shiny gloves. Michael represented greatness.
As we continue on with this new music....the homey Top Billion just dropped a new video "My Style" shot in Monroe, Louisiana. It is bumpin and you know this man...lol.
Also, download the new Top Billion mixtape "I'm II Focused Pt. II" and any other Top Billion music because my mans is beasting with the mixtapes right now.
You other guys need to catch up. Check out the video.
You gotta check out this new, NEW David Banner mane titled "Slow It Down" with the production by the Grammy-Award Winning 9th Wonder (as a side point both 9th and Banner has Grammies but I digress lol)...this "Death of A Pop Star" LP that they are dropping is turning out to be a dope joint.
The video is on point too....check out the reference to the movie "They Live" as the theme. I don't know if you remember that joint but that movie was wild on some Illuminati-type ish too...so check that out too.
After VH1 for whatever reason decided to exclude Memphis for their most recent Hip Hop Honors awards, I had to speak on it.
I just saw it as a chance to speak to the city and also give a little game for the people who didn't know what was up about us.
Also, check out my NEW project coming VERY, VERY, VERYYYYYYY (like in the next 2 weeks) soon: I Built My Own Buzz!!!!! It's going to be a problem mane.
Check out the video and let me know what you think.
-L'Daialogue
p.s. Check out some more music speaking on Memphis' musical history. PURCHASE MY "THE UNOFFICIAL STORY OF MEMPHISRAP" ON AMAZON/ITUNES HERE!!!!: http://tinyurl.com/ye6ch5g
Now this is what I am talking about. Nobody has really spoke about what's going on in the Gulf right now. Obama is trying his best (I guess). BP is covering (all puns intended) everything up about the oil spill i.e how much oil is coming out, how long it will take to clean it up or even when they will be able to stop the millions and millions of tons of oil to stop spewing upon the Gulf Coast.
Emcee Lyrikill is taking on the issue head on with his new track entitled "Black Pelicans". This soulful ode really hits home.
I think he should have called it the "BP Diss" but I'll wait until Fox News or MSNBC picks up the song...lol. No, really.
Now before you really get into this article....it said that Kia Shine has made over 1 million dollars off of the Drake single "Best I Ever Had". Wow! Wow! Wowwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!
Despite these developments...you must respect this man's hustle.
Now back to our sponsors...lol. Check out the article to see what all the ruckus is about A-GAIN.
(AllHipHop News) New York’s DJ Absolut is suing rapper Kia Shine in court over Drake’s breakout hit single “Best I Ever Had.”
According to a lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court, DJ Absolut is suing Kia Shine, claiming he made at least $1 million dollars off of the single without sharing the proceeds.
The lawsuit stems from a Lil Wayne song produced by Kia Shine and Lil Wayne called “Do It For The Boy,” which was on DJ Absolut’s The Leak mixtape.
According to Kia Shine, he gave a copy of the single to Wayne in March of 2008. He noticed similarities in Drake’s cadence, lyrics and delivery and was eventually awarded a 25% stake in “Best I Ever Had.”
Kia Shine also earned a BMI Award for his role in creating the contested single, although Drake denied reports that the Memphis rapper had anything to do with creating “Best I Ever Had.”
According to the lawsuit, Kia Shine originally agreed to pay DJ Absolut 20% of the publishing from the original track, but Kia Shine and his legal team allegedly cut a deal with Drake’s team directly for the 25%.
"Kia Shine needs to uphold his end of the agreement," DJ Absolut’s lawyer, Brian Levy told The New York Daily News. "It wasn't my client's desire to resort to legal action to get him to do it. We've reached out to him, but he has not chosen to respond."
In preparation for the upcoming anticipated full-length project from the New Orleans' based collective Tygah Woods coming later this year, DJ MiZUnderstatistic produced an EXCLUSIVE REMIX of Tygah Woods' 2009 lead single.
Tygah Woods- Marielaveau Pt. 2 (MiZUnderstatistic Uptown Second Line Bounce Mix) feat. L'Daialogue DiCaprio is inspired by the HBO series Treme & takes the original Marielaveau track deeper through the Crescent City with the whole Tygah Woods collective.
Also, be on the lookout for upcoming projects from D. Francis (Spilled Milk Mixtape), Blaze (Let The Light Shine Through Pt. 2), Mr. J'ai (Clarity: The Album), J-Dubble (Still Fantastic), Slangston Hughes (Nu-Growth Mixtape) & an upcoming DJ Mike Swift Album.
Check out my mans L.E.G.A.C.Y who has been getting major burn on the blogsites lately and khal over at Rock The Dub (LINK) has been scooping up all of these loose L.E.G.A.C.Y tracks and made a cool project based around a wrestler New Jack sprinkled throughout the whole mixtape.
Man, this is what music is about. Underground gritty.
Check this out mane.
-L'Daialogue
Tracklist:
Side A:
01) Intro 02) "Crouching Writer" 03) "Project Mayhem" (ft. Keisha Shontelle) 04) "Throw Something" 05) Gypsy Joe interlude 06) "Diamond" (ft. DJ Flash) 07) "Nice" 08) "I'm Nothing" 09) "Answers" 10) "E True Story" 11) "Pairadice" 12) Run Nigga Run interlude 13) "Pain In Life" 14) "Broken Heart Disease" 15) "Marla Got A One Track Mind"
Side B:
01) Paul Heyman Intro 02) "By The Time I Get..." 03) "I'm A Star (Lord Walrus Blend)" 04) "King of NC" 05) "Styles" (ft. Big Pooh) 06) "Pure" (ft. Phonte) 07) "More" 08) Ian Rotten interlude 09) "The Deathlist" (ft. Sean Boog) 10) "Eyes Wide Closed" (ft. Comanche) 11) "Eye Witness" 12) "Organ Donor" 13) "Imperfect World (remix)" 14) Chris Benoit Outro
The OLD Triple 6 clan mane. Those were the days....Juice, Paul, Pat, La Chat, Koop, Inf & T-Rock. Wow!!!!! This is some classic M-Town stuff right here.
Oddisee has recently released his "Odd Spring" project and It was only right that Memphis emcee L'Daialogue DiCaprio come on board to take on the smooth sounds from the DMV beatsmith.
It has become a internet tradition of sorts with thousands of downloads under his belt from his original "Odd Daialogue" project(s) (based off of Oddisee's "Odd Summer EP") and “Odd Daialogue 2” (based off of Oddisee’s “Odd Autumn EP”) & "Odd Daialogue 3" (based off of Oddisee's "Odd Winter EP").
Even as the tapes has caused some slight controversy over emcee's using instrumental sets to craft projects, L'Daialogue holds true to his underground credo that these tapes are UNOFFICIAL & are used for promotional purposes only.
Enjoy the tape and look out for L'Daialogue's new mixtape "I Built My Own Buzz" coming June 2010!!!!
So I guess we're gonna stay in the South with these artist spotlight things & next up is is an emcee who is actually not a stranger to ThaOvaground.com
His name is Top Billion & he has been hustling with his mixtapes online for a cool minute now. We actually crossed paths in the music thing via Midi Marc while Billion was working on his "You Need Soul" mixtape while I worked on InDAIpendent (and me and him has some more surprises coming in the next few months).
But, if you don't know...the Monroe, Louisiana native has a new project "I'm II Focused Pt. 1" hosted by DJ CTP is causing a huge buzz for his Cipher Music Group imprint.
You need to get up on the movement mane...I officially co-sign all that my mans drop mane. So, get the new tape...and all of the other joints off of Top Billion bandcamp page.
It’s a funny thing about the South. We are a social people.
You could walk down the street and people will still speak to you.
Grown folks all the way down to children will address you as “yes ma’am” or “yes sir”.
As for music, I can (and will always) tip my hand to a fellow brother doing his thing with the music and the brother that I am speaking about is Big K.R.I.T.
Big K.R.I.T (K.R.I.T is an acronym meaning “King Remembered In Time”) is a Meridian, Mississippi emcee/producer and his latest offering “K.R.I.T Wuz Here” has the internets going crazy. This album (yes, an album) has K.R.I.T as the sole producer with features from Smoke DZA, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y and Devin The Dude & is presented by Cinematic Music Group/Creative Control.
As a fellow emcee from Memphis, Tennessee…I can definitely relate to K.R.I.T’s grind, style & purpose for doing this music. Hell, the Mississippi/Arkansas/Georgia markets are solid gold for upcoming artists coming from Memphis and vice versa. He’s hustling PLUS getting that internet love too. New emcees take note.
Now, with all of the love that he’s been getting I must document the slight hatred that I am seeing.
I’m hearing everything from “he sounds like Pimp C” to “he’s not original”. But, none of that matters to me. The young man is fresh and he has his OWN story.
As for the Pimp C comparisons, I disagree whole-heartedly. I think that some songs may have “flashes” of those vibes but not the whole project. K.R.I.T’s “story” (at least from this project) separates him from a David Banner story coming from Mississippi, Pimp’s (& Bun’s) story coming from Port Arthur & Paul (& Juicy’s) story coming from Memphis. His “story” is really selling the overall likability of K.R.I.T shown in songs such as “2000 & Beyond” & “Visions”.
I also think the reason that many people gravitate to this project along with his “story” is that those artists along with Outkast/8Ball & MJG are the epitome of what the East Coast would call their “boom-bap” sound. The sound that K.R.I.T could be called is a South “boom-bap” and just like on the East, you have originators and then you have the progeny of that sound. K.R.I.T is continuing in that tradition noted in tracks “Return of Forever (feat. Big Sant)” & “Country @*#$!”
In conclusion, I think that Big K.R.I.T. is getting some well deserved love from this new banging project. If you have never travelled down Interstate 55 & went through Meridian, Mississippi, K.R.I.T is definitely giving you some straight riding music with some much needed lyricism.
Check out this vid as I a verse for 60 seconds in front of the Live From Memphis cameras. Actually it was one of the last verses from my project with Midi Marc entitled "InDAIpendent" off the actual track entitled "InDAIpendent" and I felt like it was the best verse to explain my perspective of the game coming into it as an artist from Memphis.
And shouts out to the peeps at Live From Memphis....AND the new mixtape is coming soon!!!!
Man, I have been on a slick hiatus BUT I'm back on my blog ish man with a new tape from my mans C. White (aka aka Bobo Shemar Jenkins aka Chuckpeezy aka Slufoot) straight out of Memphis, Tennessee with his new mixtape entitled "The Alpha Male Mixtape".
He's not your average lyricist from Memphis but then again...I'm not your average lyricist from Memphis. But, this is the newest and I am bumpin' this thing hard mane.
From spoken word to straight lyrics...my mans is bumpin' homey.
I suggest you download this tape and get this in your life mane AND I bet you won't doubt this new "lyrical-based" movement coming out of the Bluff City mane.
Word has gotten back around that Yo Gotti and his I&E family effectively tore it down a week ago at the annual Dub Show in Memphis at the Cook Convention Center.
Now, as we know...Yo Gotti is never without controversy as he performed some of his crunkest song i.e. "That's What's Up" (with a blantant diss to Three 6 Mafia) and "Touchdown" (which takes aim at former I&E general V-Slash).
L'Daialogue DiCaprio- L'Daialogue DiCaprio is...an author, emcee, producer, artist, engineer and song arranger from Memphis, Tennessee. He is also the CEO of Affillieated Vischunz/ DRDP Productions and is affiliated with The GMC Collective based out of New Orleans, Louisiana. He and his cousin, High Ruler Warlord King Cane has a group called 2Deep also out of Memphis. He is also one-half of the production duo Clazzikal Clazzik with his DJ, DJ MiZUnderstatistic, which is one of his main production collaborators.
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